The Living Coast Discovery Center, a nonprofit zoo/aquarium located on San Diego Bay in Chula Vista, raised $150,000 in net proceeds at its 14th annual Farm to Bay tasting event on Saturday, Aug. 12.
The sold-out fundraiser broke the event’s previous record set at $137,000 in 2022 and far exceeded pre-pandemic event revenues, which averaged $110,000.
The funds, raised through a combination of sponsorships, ticket sales, auction proceeds, and Raise the Paddle donations, will be used to support coastal wildlife conservation, education, and sustainability programs throughout the year.
In keeping with the organization’s commitment to environmental sustainability, the Living Coast takes steps each year towards producing a Zero-Waste event by working closely with its partners to reduce overall waste and offer earth-friendly materials. Event waste is hand-sorted and composted on-site by a team of volunteer master composters.
This year, the Living Coast Sustainability Team reported that 93 percent of total event waste was diverted from the landfill, exceeding the 90 percent threshold for the event to be considered zero waste.
The 300+ person event only generated 20 pounds of trash, equating to just two kitchen garbage bags. The city of Chula Vista’s commercial composting facility and the use of many reusable and/or compostable items during the event contributed to this success.
